In 2015, I had a Tracker ProGuide V175 Combo with a Minn Kota Power Drive V2 trolling motor. Since most of my fishing was trolling on Lake Michigan I didn’t use my trolling motor much. My son at the time was only 7 years old and wasn’t the most adept at helping drive the boat. Trying to manage a 7 year old, the boat and the lines, could be frustrating at times.
As I result, I started looking into ways I could solve that problem. The most obvious answer was an auto pilot or trolling motor with a built in auto pilot. At the time a new trolling motors with all the fancy GPS features were definitely out of my price range and a new autopilot really wasn’t that much less. One day I happened to run across an advertisement in a fishing magazine for the ProNav Angler and thought this might be worth a try.
The ProNav Angler is an “all in one” trolling motor upgrade that gives you features like Autopilot, GPS Anchoring, Route Recording, Route Creation and many more. For anglers like me that do mostly trolling the most important features are being able set routes, vectoring (heading in a set direction) and speed control.
What I Learned
The first thing I noticed when I bought the ProNav Angler was how easy it was to install. It took me maybe 15-20 minutes total to have everything installed and working. Which includes taking the time to read the instructions and figuring out how to run the wiring. Yeah I read the instructions! I challenge you to do that with any other autopilot system out there.
With the first trip I immediately knew having the ProNav Angler was going to be a game changer. With a couple of clicks on my phone I could quickly set a heading I wanted my boat to follow and then focus on fishing. With a few more clicks on my phone I could easily change course all the while still be at the back of the boat working lines or the net. Better yet, whether I was just using my trolling motor or running the main motor and trolling motor together, having the ability to fine tune your speed without fighting with the throttle was huge.
Whether you use a phone to connect to the ProNav Angler or use a tablet, you will want to set your device so it stays active the whole time. Unlocking your device every time you want to make a course or speed correction kind of sucks, especially if you need to do it quickly. Also you will probably want your device set to its brightest screen setting so you can see the screen in direct sunlight. Keeping your device unlocked and on its brightest screen setting all the time will drain a battery quickly so you will also need a way to charge your device.
In rough and windy conditions, you’re better off going old school and drive the boat manually. Which is pretty much true for all auto pilots at trolling speeds. Rough conditions will kick your boat around quickly and your auto pilot will respond the best way it thinks it should but not necessarily the way you need it to. Doing a 360 degree turn in a matter of seconds with 8 lines or more out is not a good thing.
Another thing I noticed, is having steering control at the bow of the boat changed how my lines behaved in the water. I won’t swear to this but I feel I could make sharper turns while trolling with less tangles. The ability to make quicker turns allowed me return to a bite faster.
If there is one complaint I had, it was the process for updating the firmware (software) always felt a bit clunky. Once you connected to your mobile device to the ProNav Angler and started the download process you had to stay close to the device until the download finished. In addition if you had your device set to lock after a certain amount of time, the download would stop and you would have to restart. I can only imagine if you lived in an area with poor cell service, updating the firmware would be down right painful.
In the Spring of 2018 when I hooked my ProNav Angler back up after being in winter storage it didn’t work. After determining the problem was in fact the ProNav Angler and not something else, I contacted customer service from ProNav Marine. I have to say overall I was very impressed. Once I gave them the information they asked for, I had a new ProNav Angler show up at my doorstep in the matter of just a few days. In addition, they followed up with me to make sure I was satisfied and everything was now working as expected.
The ProNav Angler is a great low cost way to get an auto pilot. While I didn’t use many of the features it offered, it made running my boat so much easier when trolling out on Lake Michigan. From setting courses, to fine tuning speed control, it gave me more time to spend focusing on fishing and less on driving the boat.
Understanding Some Of The Technology:
Bluetooth
Bluetooth technology has been around quite some time and is great for passing data between devices at relatively close range. In the case of the ProNav Angler you’re passing data between the ProNav Angler device and your hand held device. While Bluetooth is a great technology, it has its drawbacks as well. Bluetooth connections do get dropped from time to time.
As with all Bluetooth devices ProNav Angler, occasionally would lose its connection with my hand held device. It’s import to understand that whatever is between the ProNav Angler and the handheld device can and will impact the signal. For example, I kept my fish cooler in the front of my boat near my trolling motor. If someone would sit on that cooler, I would occasionally run into problems with losing my Bluetooth connection. Having a human body and the cooler between my handheld device and the ProNav Angler was enough to interfere with that connection.
Also, I had the habit of placing my hand held device on a shelf under the dashboard because it was out of the sun and away from the elements. If I left it there long enough I would again occasionally lose my Bluetooth connection. Being under the dash like that the signal had to get through carpet, fiberglass, aluminum and other electronic interference to stay connected.
It’s easy to blame the device but the truth is, more often than not it’s something we are doing with the device that is causing the issue.
GPS
Similar to Bluetooth, GPS device is dependent on receiving a signal from the swarm of satellites that orbit the Earth. The big difference here is the signal is coming from the edge of space . If something interferes with those signals, it will either impact accuracy or prevent the device from working properly.
The biggest factor that impacts how accurately your ProNav Angler will perform is the number of satellites it has acquired. The more satellites acquired the better the GPS is able to determine your position on good old planet Earth. Conversely the fewer satellites acquired the less accurate the device will be able to calculate your position. This is true of all GPS devices. Depending on where you are in the world and the time of the day the number of satellites available may change and this can impact the accuracy of your GPS in determining your position relative to those satellites.
In addition to the number of satellites acquired, things that block the GPS from getting signals will affect the GPS. Dense overhead foliage can be a big one. Lot’s of trees will block satellite signals from getting to your device. In addition, more mundane objects like a wet towel thrown over your trolling motor can impact this as well.
Again it can be easy to blame the device for something that is beyond its control. So whether it’s your ProNav Angler or some other GPS device check your satellite acquisition before you blame the device. Make sure your device is clear of anything that would block a signal.
PROs
- Easy to install
- Easy to use
- Excellent customer service
- Worked great as an auto pilot trolling on the big lake
- Fine tuning trolling speed will help you catch more fish
- GPS anchoring for perch fishing is awesome
- Because the ProNav Angler is an independent system, if it fails, you don’t have to replace your trolling motor. Just buy a new ProNav Angler.
CONs
- In rough water and strong winds the unit would get “confused” and overreact, sometimes doing full 360’s to try and get back on track.
- Firmware updating could be a bit clunky
- Using a phone to control the device was a bit tedious at times
Is the ProNav Angler worth it? Absolutely. Overall I feel it’s a great product from a great Michigan company.
For more information on if your electric trolling motor is compatible with the ProNav Angler, go to https://pronavmarine.com/pronav-compatibility/.
